The Sexual Life of Our Time in Its Relations to Modern Civilization Translated from the Sixth German Edition

The book offers a sweeping, scholarly survey of human sexuality as it has unfolded alongside civilization. Drawing on the author’s medical expertise, it blends anatomy, pathology, psychology and social history to show how the erotic impulse has moved from pure reproduction toward deeper individual fulfillment. Organized into sections on developmental stages, cultural attitudes and medical classifications, it presents detailed examinations of age‑related variations, disease patterns such as syphilis, and the legal ramifications when desire clashes with societal norms.

In the introduction the author frames love as a dual force—one serving the species, the other enriching the individual—and traces this tension from ancient societies through the industrial age, arguing that modern love marks a turning point in cultural development. He also examines how education, morality and emerging scientific theories shape personal relationships. For medical, legal and counseling professionals, the work supplies case studies and scientific explanations that illuminate both normal and ‘abnormal’ sexual behaviour, offering a rigorous historical perspective on the sexual life of our time.